Improvement in privies



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l2 vena@ 'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK RIEDEL, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN PRIVIES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 111,976, dated February 21, 1871.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK R1EDEL,of San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and -State of California, have invented an Improvement in Irivies; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description of the saine, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, and to the letters ot' reference marked thereon.

This invention relates more particularly to that class of privies that are constructed in outhouses; and consists, mainly, in suspending the seat and seat-frame by means of a weight and a series of cords and pulleys, so that the seat will not become soiled by persons intoxicated, or by servants in emptying slops.

The drawing represents a front elevation ot a privy embodying my improvement With the door open.

To enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe fully my improved device.

It is a well-known fact that privies that are open and accessible to all classes soon become disagreeable andtilthy, by reason of the drunkenness or carelessness of the former occupant, who .generally does not care for the person coming after him, unlike, in this respect, the unthinking swine, who seldom soils his nest or sitting-down apartment. He does not even seem to think that he may want to occupy the same place on the morrow, but persists in soiling the seat and rendering it unfit for occupancy.

In the use of my device it is believed that much of the lth and disagreeableness arising from the promiscuous use of a privy will be avoided.

The design, then, of this invention is to so suspend the cover and seat of a privy that it may not become readily soiled.

In the figure, a represents the seat proper, which is hinged to a frame, b. The frame bis provided with lugs c, through which pass vertical rods o', upon which the frame and seat are caused to move easily up and down by the raising or falling of a weight, d, attached to a cord, c. The cord passes over pulley f(shown by dotted lines) and pulley l above the seat. from whence it branches oft to each side ot' the frame, passing through rings g g, and extends to the seat, to which both ends are conned. Y

In operating with my device, the seat and frame being suspended, as shown, the person entering the privy closes the door and places the weight d on the ledge or shelf h, attached to the inside of the door, when the seat and frame will descend by gravity and cover the top of the vault, and when leaving the privy, the door being pushed open of necessity, the weight will fall of itself from the shelf and drawr up the seat and frame.

Transverse rods may be placed across the vault, to prevent accident when the seat is raised.

Thus it will be seen that my device works in an automatic manner, and will prevent much of the filth so often found in privies of the ordinary construction.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- A suspended seat and seat-frame, a b, for privies, moving on the vertical rods c', land having the cords c, pulleys ff', and weight d, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal.

FRANK RIEDEL. lL.

Witnesses: i

C. XV. M. SMITH, H. S. TIBBEY. 

